1. Field of the Invention
This application claims the priority benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2012-0035381 filed on Apr. 5, 2012. All disclosure of the Korean Patent application is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a device for adjusting an optical magnification of a microscope, and more particularly, to a device for adjusting an optical magnification of a microscope that is capable of rotating a magnification adjuster mounted on a tube unit of the microscope, thereby linearly increasing or decreasing the optical magnification of the microscope.
2. Background of the Related Art
Generally, observing equipment like a digital microscope, which is adapted to enlarge and observe a sample or object, is provided to allow the magnification of the sample or object to be adjusted to an observer's desired magnification as well as to permit the magnification used for current observation or photographing to be checked by the observer.
FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a general digital microscope system. As shown in FIG. 1, the typical digital microscope system includes a base 10 on which an object is located, a stand 12 mounted on one side of the base 10, a tube unit 20 supported by the stand 12, a lens unit 22 mounted on the object side end of the tube unit 20 to produce the enlarged image of the object, a camera 24 mounted on the observer side end of the tube unit 20 to detect the enlarged image of the object, and a magnification adjuster 26 mounted along the tube unit 20 to adjust the magnification of the object. If necessary, the camera is connected to a controller 14 having an image display 16 like an LCD mounted thereon, and thus, the operation of the camera 24 is controlled by means of the controller 14 or the detected image of the object from the camera 24 is transmitted to the controller 14, thereby displaying the image of the object on the image display 16. Like this, the tube unit 20 of the typical microscope has the zoom optical magnification adjuster 26 mounted therealong to adjust the magnification of the object, and if the magnification adjuster 26 is rotated by the observer, the magnification of the object is increased or decreased.
According to the typical microscope as shown in FIG. 1, the position of the magnification adjuster 26 is detected to check the magnification used currently. For example, the magnification adjuster 26 has a plurality of photo interrupter sensors (not shown) mounted thereon, and if it is rotated and changed in position, the position thereof is detected by the specific photo interrupter sensor mounted thereon, so that the optical magnification corresponding to the photo interrupter sensor detecting the position of the magnification adjuster 26 is provided to the observer. In case of the typical magnification adjuster 26, however, only the magnifications corresponding to the number of photo interrupter sensors mounted thereon are checked, and if the magnification adjuster 26 is located at a position where no photo interrupter sensors are mounted, the magnification cannot be accurately obtained.